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How to: Add Enhancements to ToolStripMenuItems

In this article

Add check marks to designate whether a feature is turned on or off, such as whether a ruler is displayed along the margin of a word-processing application, or to indicate which file in a list of files is being displayed, such as on a Window menu.

Add images that visually represent menu commands.

Display shortcut keys to provide a keyboard alternative to the mouse for performing commands. For example, pressing CTRL+C performs the Copy command.

Display access keys to provide a keyboard alternative to the mouse for menu navigation. For example, pressing ALT+F chooses the File menu.

Show separator bars to group related commands and make menus more readable.

To display custom shortcut keys for a menu command

To display an access key for a menu command

When you set the Text property for the menu command, enter an ampersand (&) before the letter you want to be underlined as the access key. For example, typing &Open as the Text property of a menu item will result in a menu command that appears as Open.

To navigate to this menu command, press ALT to give focus to the MenuStrip, and press the access key of the menu name. When the menu opens and shows items with access keys, you only need to press the access key to select the menu command.

Note

Avoid defining duplicate access keys, such as defining ALT+F twice in the same menu system. The selection order of duplicate access keys cannot be guaranteed.

' This code adds a top-level File menu to the MenuStrip.
Me.menuStrip1.Items.Add(New ToolStripMenuItem() _
{Me.fileToolStripMenuItem})
' This code adds the New and Open menu commands, a separator bar,
' and the Save and Exit menu commands to the top-level File menu,
' in that order.
Me.fileToolStripMenuItem.DropDownItems.AddRange(New _
ToolStripMenuItem() {Me.newToolStripMenuItem, _
Me.openToolStripMenuItem, Me.toolStripSeparator1, _
Me.saveToolStripMenuItem, Me.exitToolStripMenuItem})

[C#]

// This code adds a top-level File menu to the MenuStrip.
this.menuStrip1.Items.Add(new ToolStripItem[]_
{this.fileToolStripMenuItem});
// This code adds the New and Open menu commands, a separator bar,
// and the Save and Exit menu commands to the top-level File menu,
// in that order.
this.fileToolStripMenuItem.DropDownItems.AddRange(new _
ToolStripItem[] {
this.newToolStripMenuItem,
this.openToolStripMenuItem,
this.toolStripSeparator1,
this.saveToolStripMenuItem,
this.exitToolStripMenuItem});